After Cruella
by OCaptainSwan
Summary: CS one shot set after the ending of Sympathy for the De Vil. What happens after Emma kills Cruella?


**Please enjoy this one-shot that simply WOULD NOT leave me alone for the last couple of days! I was really hoping we'd get to see something like this in the episode that aired on Sunday, but alas…hopefully this kind of makes up for the lack of it. At least we got one good CS scene! As always I do not own OUAT. Please leave me comments/reviews! **

Emma pulled away from Henry long enough to peer over the edge of the cliff, preparing herself to see the damage that she had done. Sure enough, there lay Cruella, sprawled out on the hard stone, limbs splayed out un-naturally. She was sure she could see the dark red blood pool around her head. She straightened herself up and looked straight ahead, her eyes were burning. She willed herself to show no emotions. She knew her parents were right behind her and could almost feel their worried stares.

"_No"_ she thought _"this does NOT make me a villain. This was me protecting my son." _Surely they would understand that? Considering the horrible things they had done to protect her?

She turned around slowly, making a point to not look at her parents and gathered Henry to her again. Henry was safe. And that was all that mattered right now.

"Emma" her mother started to say, but was interrupted by Regina running into the clearing.

"Henry!" Emma let Henry go and he ran into Regina's arms. Regina held him tightly to her and raised her eyes and looked at Emma and at her parents and then back at Emma again. She loosened her grip on Henry and walked over to Emma. "What happened? Where's Cruella?"

Emma couldn't speak. She never thought she would ever utter the words _"I killed her"_ in her life before. But she had, she had killed Cruella. Her mind was swirling with emotions and fear and anger. She was so angry. How dare that woman kidnap her son and threaten to kill him. Her hands fisted in at her side and she continued to look down and ignore everyone else around her.

"Emma?!" Killian shouted just before he entered the clearing. Emma looked up at him. Her eyes were blown wide and were rimmed with red. She looked scared and angry and he got just that little glimpse of regret flash across her eyes before she looked back down at the ground. Her walls were back up in a matter of seconds. "Emma?" He said again, softly, slowly making his way to her side.

She still didn't respond. Everyone was staring at her, her mother was lightly sobbing and her father held her by the shoulders. Henry was tucked under Regina's arm. Regina gave Killian a look and then nodded her head to over the cliff. Killian took that as a sign and walked closer to the edge. He didn't even need to look down before he realized what had happened. He could already smell the blood. He looked down and saw Cruella's mangled body. He scrubbed his hand across his face and turned to face Emma again. He stood by her side and with one motion of his head he silently told everyone to leave. Regina nodded and with her arm around Henry, she led him out of the forest. Charming nodded to Killian and with one final pleading look at his daughter followed Regina and Henry, Mary Margaret still clutching onto him for support.

When everyone was gone, Killian stood in front of Emma. She still wouldn't look up. He reached out and pulled her to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He could feel her shudder and could hear her choke out a sob. He rubbed small soothing circles into her back as she continued to cry. Emma leaned on him; the magic she had used to kill Cruella had drained most of her energy. And she hasn't been sleeping well or for very long ever since she found out about her parents. It was a wonder she was even able to stand on her own at all right now.

After her crying had died down a bit, Killian turned his head and pressed a kiss to her temple, pulling back far enough to look at her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut and some tears were still falling. He swiped at them with his thumb and put his arm around her. "Come on Swan. Let's go." He said gently and led her out of the forest.

They walked slowly back into town. Killian held her tightly to his side, stealing glances at her every few seconds. She looked exhausted and overwhelmed and defeated. Killian was worried. He knew how the darkness worked and how it crept up on you when you weren't expecting it. Only this time they kind of were. Considering Ursula told him Gold's plan to darken the Saviors heart. Still, his Swan was a fighter and he knew that if anyone could defeat the darkness, it would be her. Rumplestilkstin and his plan be damned. He would be by her side every step of the way offering any support she would need and accept. He vowed to see the best in her and he always will.

Emma laid her on Killian's shoulder as they reached the outskirts of town and sighed deeply. "I'm so tired" she whispered. Killian held her closer to him and pressed another kiss to her head "I know love. We're almost there. Do you want me to carry you?"

"No I can walk."

"Just a bit farther lass. Then you can rest." Emma leaned on him as he led her down the street and to the docks. She was thankful that he knew where to take her. She had spent the last few nights on the Jolly Roger with Killian, though ever the gentleman, he slept in the crew's quarters. Giving up his bed and his room for her. Just a small fraction of what he had given up for her. She almost wished he would stop being a gentleman and just stay with her, then maybe he could help chase away the dreams that haunt her at night and she could actually get some sleep instead of waking up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night or pacing about the room.

Killian helped her walk across the gangway and helped her step onto the ship. He sent her down to the captain's quarters and was at her heels. With another deep sigh she shrugged off her coat and laid it across the chair that was neatly pushed into the desk in the middle of the cabin. She toed off her boots and lined them up neatly next to the bed and climbed in under the covers. Killian smiled at her and how comfortable she was on his ship. In the past few days of staying there she had made it somewhat like her home. She kept leaving little bits and pieces of her and her life behind in the cabin. Her coats that hung in his wardrobe and her personal items on his desk and the cabinet by the sink. It was fitting for him, considering the Jolly had been his home once, and now his home was Emma. And now he had both is his life again. He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it and grabbed her hand.

"Swan…" Emma's eyes closed and she shook her head.

"I killed her" she whispered.

"I know."

"I just killed her Killian. I didn't even try to think of another way. I just killed her. Something snapped within me and I was just so angry at her that I WANTED to kill her." Small sobs were wracking her body as she struggled to control herself again.

Killian sighed, he pulled off his boots and climbed into the bed next to her and pulled her to his side. She laid her head on his chest and he wound his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp and running his hand up and down her arm in an attempt to soothe her.

"Emma. You protected your son. She kidnapped him and held him at gun point over a cliff. There wasn't more you could have done, love. There was no time to reason. I'm not so sure you could reason with her anyway. You did what any parent would have done; no one is going to fault you for that."

"What would you have done?"

"If it was me that found her with Henry instead of you? I would have killed her, Swan. I wouldn't have given it a second thought. I care for Henry and I will protect him AND you with my life. Surely you must know that?" He pressed a kiss to her head and she wrapped her arms tighter around him, one hand coming to rest over his heart.

"I know" she whispered.

"Sleep Swan, I've got you. You need to sleep."

"I am so tired. But I don't know if I can. I haven't been able to sleep ever since my parents told me what they did."

"I thought I could hear you up. Swan, your parents were trying to do what they thought was right. They were trying to protect you, much like you protecting Henry. Sometimes protecting someone means doing something bad. It doesn't make you a bad person. What you did back there does not make you a villain."

"I know. You're right. I just need more time to sort out everything with them. I can't talk to them right now without feeling angry and I don't want to storm over there and say things that I'll regret. I love my parents, what they did was awful and I am trying to come to terms with it. But it's going to take some time before I forgive them and before I open myself up to them again."

"I know love. In the meantime, I am here. You can stay here as long as you like. I'll be by your side through everything Emma. You don't have to do all this alone. Please don't face this alone." His voice dropped down to a deep whisper and cracked with his last sentence.

Emma leaned up on her arm and looked at him, placing her hand across his cheek and gave him a small smile "I know. I won't." It was simple. She wanted to say much more. She wanted to tell him that she loved him and wanted to let him know just how badly she needed him by her side. She'd come to rely on him a lot this week. He has been her rock through this storm with all the villains coming into town and all the craziness that has become her life. He has been by her side through it all and she knew without a doubt that he would continue to be by her side. She had started to open herself up to him, so much so that she was sure she should be afraid, if it was anyone else she knew she would be. But not with him. Not with Killian. It was different, he was different. She felt safe and cherished and loved. All the things she had been searching for her whole life. Killian was her home. She hoped and prayed that he could see that in her eyes because she wasn't ready to voice that out just yet. But certainly he must know how she feels about him. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was soft and sweet and slow. They didn't feel the need to deepen it anymore or for it to get wildly passionate. She closed her eyes and laid her head back down on his chest. "Stay" she whispered as she could feel the need to sleep overpower her.

Killian wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him. "As you wish, my love. Rest now. I won't let anything happen to you." He trailed his hand along her back and her arms, feeling her relax into his embrace and when her breathing evened out and he could tell she was asleep he whispered the words he had been wanting to say to her for a long time and then closed his eyes and fell asleep.

"I love you Swan."


End file.
